Swans
 

I just bought Children of God/World of Skin a couple of days ago. What do you think of this album?

I really like it. It's got a lot of really beautiful stuff on it.

It's two albums, two groups even.

Children of God is the Swans very best record in my estimation. I love that album with a huge passion. It's the meeting ground between Gira's old group and the new mellower one that Jarboe transformed the group (and really the man too) into. I saw them play on the tour after that one, so they did plenty of stuff from it, and it was amazing.

I'm definitely planning on getting Filth, I saw it at the same record store.

I love those albums. They mark the border between noisy Swans and melodic Swans. My preference is for melodic Swans, and I love the Various Failures collection. Of the pre-Children of God stuff, I never bother going any furher back than Greed.

Official Swans website

Cop is just fucking EVIL.

I really want to get into this band. Is Children of God the best place to start?

I ordered some Swans stuff at a store a long time ago. The store closed before it came in...:(

Swans are awesome, don't own an album of them though.

I absolutely adore the Swans. Children of God is definitely a good album for anyone new to the band. I recently got Various Failures and it has some really amazing stuff on there, that might be one to start with as well.

To be honest, I didn't really think mush of Children of God at first (I was expecting the noisy Swans). But I have to say it has grown on me. Plus I like the World of Skin material quite a bit.

children of god is my fave swans lp.

i'm making a mixcd-r and was listening to my inclusion of "i crawled" and was fucking moved by that song so, in honour of that amazing song, i bump this thread so we can talk about swans.




they were so amazing...

i only have the s/t one. its bloody great.

props to swans.

Swans fucking rule. Best- Various Failures. I wish I could find the original albums, all I have is a cd of Burning World. Children of God and Soundtrack for the Blind are also heavenly.

i'm actually surprised a lot of you are not into or plainly don't know the early glory of filth, cop, young god and all their early devastating glory days.

I love Filth, one of my current favourite albums. Blackout kicks absolute ass.

Have you heard the live version of 'I Crawled' on Swans Are Dead? Its a lot different but I think I like it better than the original.

The Great Annihilator will always be my favourite Swans - its combines all their elements into one amazing package. Omniscience is also one of the best live albums I own!

Have you heard Body Lovers / Body Haters, every-n? There's every chance it might be right up your alley.

My first introduction to Swans was the 12" 'Raping a Slave'.
The very next day I went back to the record shop and bought 'Filth' and 'Cop'.

I seem to be in the minority here, but I much prefer the early 'noisy' Swans. Their gig at the Zap in Brighton was the loudest, most intense performance I have ever witnessed.

i like white light in the mouth of infinity the best, for whatever reason.

First exposure to Swans was one of their more new-agey records (I thought it was ok but expected something harder). 2nd exposure was 'Filth' and about ten seconds into it my life had been completely flipped upside-down.. Can't reccomend that old stuff enough. There is a great video on you tube I saw about a year ago of them doing 'Coward'.. check that out. One of the best bands ever... Their last ((????? maybe not) record 'Soundtracks for the Blind' is also really fucking good..

don't get me wrong, i like the gentler swans i've heard so far, and i like angels of light too (at least the latest), it's just that i'm surprised that most people prefer their more...ethereal side instead of the no wavy blues grind metal of their earlier selves.

and no, i haven't heard any of that, i've heard children of god, filth, body to body, cop, young god, greed, holy money and a bootleg of that show bloodbeach was talking about. i've heard songs from throughout though, same with angels of light; it's not that i don't want to listen to their other stuff but i'm very stocked with their early stuff i feel i can't move on from it, at least not right now; i'm sure later on i'll think i will give a listen to something else by them, will definitely take in consideration your recomendations.

I'm kicking myself for not having bought their albums yet, especially filth, which is quite possibly the most crushing music I've heard.

i love swans, and michael gira is brilliant, i really like his new angels of light stuff too

Cop is my favorite; that is some strong stuff that still doesn't sound tame two decades on.
I also love Children Of God though; it represents a great hybrid between the more violent Swans and the beautiful Swans.
Angels of Light are OK, but I wish he hadn't picked Akron/Family as his backing band.

Hah, the only Swans album I've ever heard was The Great Destroyer. And I didn't like it very much, to be honest.

the thing about swans is that they make me go back because i always have this sense that i'm missing something, not getting something. or maybe i'm a masochist.

except for children of god, that one i feel spent after listening to it, or at least i did. haven't heard it in forever.

and angels of light, judging from fan reactions and reviews, seem very spotty; but the new one is amazing, pretty much it's like cop but 180° apart in terms of ambience, lyrics and mood.